The Hitman’s Bodyguard - Review
This review of The Hitman's Bodyguard is spoiler-free!
For a long time, we lived in a world dominated by Ryan Reynolds comedy films. This time was the early 2000s, where comedy was a lot more raunchy than present day and managed to capture widescreen appeal because of this ability to allow audience viewers to enjoy things that don't occur in their daily lives. Ryan Reynolds was a tentpole of this period of comedic films, but there was a period of time we spent without Reynolds in starring roles of any kind. Then came a small film known as Deadpool, and we had Reynolds back on the map as a top star. With this return to form for Reynolds, he had a new lease of life as an actor and was brought in for all sorts of other projects. One of those new projects being The Hitman's Bodyguard. And who would be his co-star you ask? Well, none other than Samuel L. Jackson. Yeah, this is gonna be good, let's talk about it.
Michael Bryce is the star of our story in this action comedy. He's a triple-A rated executive protection agent and former member of the Central Intelligence Agency. But, after a horrible incident with one of his top clients, his life is turned upside down. The love of his life is forced out and he lives with lower level clients. When the bloodthirsty dictator of Belarus is brought to the stand due to crimes against humanity, the last hope for the prosecution is a hitman known as Darius Kincaid. After it's realized that Interpol is in bed with the challenged dictator, Bryce is called upon to get Kincaid to court so he can testify. As a story, is something I haven't necessarily seen before in this current style, so it's not a rehash, but it definitely feels familiar. It's a fun movie, but it doesn't bring anything new to the action-comedy genre. As with many other films in this genre though, what makes them a bit better is the performances of their stars.
If you haven't noticed by this point in your life, Ryan Reynolds seems to follow a bit of a formula when it comes to his roles: he's cocky or rude and he's almost always using his humor. That's not too specific, but it tends to follow him through a majority of his roles. Bryce is no different but it makes him an enjoyable character. What makes him better though is his relationship with Kincaid (played by Samuel L. Jackson). These two have stellar chemistry, something for some reason I predicted from the moment I first saw the teaser trailer. At this point in their careers these two seem to fit right into a great mold, and to be honest I'm surprised they haven't worked together more at this point. Jackson is his usual action Jackson style of character, and Reynolds is his usual style of character. So while we get nothing new from either of them, what is new is their chemistry and that makes the film better as a whole.
Speaking of other areas of this film that standout, most definitely the action. Action seems come frequently and they are almost always done well. One thing that may go unnoticed but some of these scenes have beautifully matched music that makes them that much more enjoyable. But what makes this film that much worse is the generic themes of political corruption and a waste of a performance from Gary Oldman. Gary Oldman could have been used to create an entirely different villain rather than this common villain trope that he plays in this role. So, essentially this film could have been better with some story changes and allow Oldman to play a role that had a better motive and wasn't as black and white of a character.
Reflecting on The Hitman's Bodyguard as a film, I won't lie and say I didn't enjoy it. I can enjoy films of all different kinds because having fun in a movie isn't uncommon. The problem is that this is most definitely a popcorn movie. It's a film that you watch to get a few laughs and watch some bad guys get beaten up. The only reason this film is memorable in any sense is that it gives us the great pairing of Jackson and Reynolds in a film that surely will have a sequel after absolutely blowing its budget out of the water at the box office. So, for those of you looking for a fun little film to check out this weekend, make The Hitman's Bodyguard one the consider!
